NEW DELHI: A light and heartwarming moment grabbed attention at the Grenke Freestyle Open when Grandmaster (GM) Harika Dronavali extended her hand to resign, but Uzbek GM Nodirbek Yakubboev responded with a polite “Namaste” instead. Both players smiled and walked away, making it a memorable and respectful exchange.Watch:
The event itself is heating up in Karlsruhe, where Vincent Keymer and Hans Niemann are leading with perfect 5/5 scores. They’re set to face off next in a crucial match. Close behind is a strong group, including world number one Magnus Carlsen, keeping the competition intense.Interestingly, Daniel Hausrath, ranked far lower globally, is surprisingly holding his own among top players. With thousands of participants and a major prize pool, the tournament is one of the biggest in the world, and upcoming rounds are expected to shake up the leaderboard.This isn’t the first time Yakubboev avoided a handshake. Earlier, during a game against R Vaishali at the Wijk Aan Zee Challengers section last year, he did the same, which led to confusion. Later, he met her again with flowers and chocolates to apologise.“I’m sorry for what had happened? It was an awkward situation for both of us. I was hurrying that day. It looks like some misunderstanding. And I want to wish good luck for the remaining games for both of you. Just want to say. I respect you and your brother both. Both of you, and all the Indian chess players,” Yakubboev said.Vaishali responded kindly: “No, it’s clearly understandable. I didn’t take it that way, so we didn’t have to feel bad. You actually apologised. It’s totally fine. You don’t have to worry about it.”Yakubboev later explained it was due to “religious reasons”, adding, “I want to explain the situation… I do not touch other women for religious reasons.”
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He emphasized respect, saying, “I respect Vaishali and her brother as the strongest chess players in India. If I have offended her with my behavior, I apologise,” and clarified, “I do what I need to do… It is their business what to do.”